Closing the Gap with Mercy and Forgiveness

On Fridays, I consider the fifth Beatitude and fifth Statement in the Lord's Prayer:
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

These two statements by Jesus are really similar: Those that receive mercy and forgiveness also give it. In both passages, these are the only points where Jesus states "you will get the same thing you give". Or maybe he meant "you will give that same thing you get". Or maybe both.

What are mercy and forgiveness all about? Connecting to God and others - closing the gaps between us.

There are gaps in all my relationships - some big, some small. Some come from me doing something wrong, or not doing what I should. Some come from other people's failures. Some come from misunderstanding, even when no one did anything wrong. Some just come from lack of attention over time.

What if I always wait for others to approach me to fix things? Where will I end up?

What if everyone waited to be approached? Obviously, nothing would ever get resolved. We would all be waiting for the other guy to show up and either ask for forgiveness or show us mercy. The longer we waited, the worse things would get. Eventually we would all live in our own private, insulated versions of hell.

For mercy and forgiveness to work, I have to take the initiative. I have to go to people who feel I've done something wrong and ask for forgiveness. I have to go to people I think have done something wrong to me with an attitude of mercy. I guess we all should take the initiative, but I can only focus on and control me. 

So if you read this, pray for me to strive to close the gaps. I want to be part of an open, connected version of heaven here on earth.